Many Job Vacancies in Brazil Remain Unfilled due to Lack of Qualified Jobseekers

By Richard Mann, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Positions remain to be filled in the National Employment System (SINE). Fewer than half of the job vacancies have been filled.

The lack of qualified professionals is among the main causes. Airton Gabriel Salvaterra, a bricklayer, says he has many skills. “Gardening, kitchen helper, painter, and even in my area, even as a bricklayer.” But he did not qualify for any of the jobs on offer.

A survey by the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade, and Services showed that by May 2019, SINE had offered almost 500,000 jobs. Only 37 percent of the openings were filled.

Most jobs require completed High School education. And yet, there are not enough qualified workers.

“I see that companies often want a ready-made professional. Sometimes it is not possible to find the right professional, with all the requirements for that job,” explained career specialist Fernanda Schroder.

Karlla Leitão, staff development manager at a drugstore network in Belo Horizonte, says she is unable to fill the vacancies she offers every month.

“Today, we have, surely, 180 vacancies for cashier positions, more than 50 vacancies for salespeople, and 30 vacancies for managers and assistant managers. Above all, there is the issue of communication. They have a lot of trouble communicating,” she said.

One of the solutions is to train young apprentices.